Early Start in China

This book examines China’s emerging universal childcare system for children under three and considers its relevance for societies confronting demographic decline.As China reaches a critical demographic juncture, childcare provision has become increasingly important in addressing shortages in family care, reducing childrearing costs, and helping families balance work and family responsibilities. Drawing on surveys across 13 cities, household interviews, case studies, and comparisons with other low-fertility countries, the book analyses major challenges in provision, regional disparities, quality, and affordability. It moves beyond a simple welfare-versus-market divide to propose a framework for universal childcare grounded in high-quality population development. In this perspective, childcare is both a matter of family wellbeing and a policy instrument for improving population structure and supporting social sustainability. The book is organised in three parts: the first reviews the history of childcare in China, current provision, and future demand; the second examines international policies, regulations, service models, and quality standards; and the third reassesses China’s progress, challenges, and reform options while proposing an overall strategy for a universal childcare system.This book will be a valuable resource for researchers, students, policymakers, and practitioners interested in early childhood education policy, demographic policy, social welfare, and child development.